


Endless Summer

by CrazyB00kGirl



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Sburb Session, M/M, Summer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-21
Updated: 2014-05-07
Packaged: 2018-01-13 06:05:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1215433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrazyB00kGirl/pseuds/CrazyB00kGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Your name is John Egbert, and you have always loved summer. What you do not love, however, is your job at your family's ice cream shop. Until one day, when a mysterious pair of siblings walks in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Summer Vacation: Day 1

==> Be the tall kid

Why do you want to be him? You’ve never seen him before in your life. He’s just a passerby that happened to catch your eye on this lovely summer day. Oh well, here goes.

Your name is John Egbert, and you have always loved summer. You love the warm air, the lazy atmosphere. You love the long days, the warm nights. You love the sounds and smells of people having barbecues in their backyard, the taste of watermelon and lemonade. You even sort of love the tourist-based small beach town that you live in, with its huge influx of strangers in the summer.

What you do not love, however, is your job. Your father bought a shop on the beachfront and started running an “authentic” ice cream parlor after your mom died four years ago. He's decided that he wants you to work in the shop this summer, instead of gallivanting around town enjoying the weather. That’s why this morning, the first day of summer break, you’re grumpily setting up for the day. Your twin sister, Jade, is supposed to be here helping you, but knowing her, she’s probably still asleep. You swear, that girl practically hibernates year round.

The first hour is hell. No one even looks twice at the shop; it’s too early for ice cream. You probably won’t get any customers until 1ish, at least. It’s only 11. Somewhere near the end of that hour, your sister decides to grace you with her presence, strolling through the door and yawning sleepily. She looks like she just rolled out of bed, and you wouldn’t be surprised if that’s actually what she did.

“I brought food,” she says, holding up a bag of bagels and two cups of coffee.

“You’re late,” you reply, taking the coffee she offers you and grabbing the bag of bagels.

“I bought raisin bagels.”

“And that makes up for it, how exactly? Please, explain,” although, even as you say it, you’re digging through the bag to find your favorite flavor.

The second hour is marginally better. At least you have food, and although you don’t like her sleeping habits, your sister does make good company. You get one customer, and they mostly just want to use your bathroom.  At the end of the hour, your father shows up and say the two of you can have a half an hour to go get lunch.

You spend your half an hour walking along the beach, still full from the bagels you ate not too long ago. When you get back to the shop, you’re surprised to see that it’s empty. Normally you would have at least a couple tourists getting post-lunch treats.

As you take your place behind the counter, your dad says, “I’ll be back at three, and then you’re done for the day.”

You nod, he leaves, and you pull up a movie on your phone. You have to have some way to pass the time, after all.

“I’m gonna crash on the couch in the back,” Jade informs you when she returns, “let me know if anyone shows up.”

She’s gone before you can protest.

A while later, the bell above the door rings, alerting you to a presence in the shop. You look up from your movie to see not one, but two people standing in the doorway. They look about your age, and you’re certain that if they’re not twins, they’re at least brother and sister. They look almost identical- tall with pale skin and the whitest hair you’ve ever seen. The girl wears dark eye makeup and dark lipstick, but it provides an almost necessary contrast against her light skin. She’s engrossed in a book. The boy wears a pair of aviator sunglasses, covering his eyes completely.

“Thank fuck it’s air conditioned in here,” he grumbles, then proceeds to sit down in a booth. The girl doesn’t even look up from her book as she sits down across from him.

“Um, excuse me,” you walk over to where they’re sitting, “can I help you?”

“Yeah, uh, John,” the boy says, looking at your name tag to get your name, “you can get me some water. In case you haven’t noticed, it’s hot as hell outside.”

“Please, pardon my brother,” the girl says, without looking up from her book, “he’s not exactly happy to be here.”

“Yeah, because Mom and Bro thought it would be a great idea to bring us on this shitty vacation.”

“Okay, so, just some water?” you ask hesitantly.

“Yeah.”

 

When your father finally comes to relieve you for the day, the strange siblings are still there. The girl continues to read her book, and the guy is listening to something through an expensive-looking pair of headphones.

You take off to enjoy the summer, but something keeps drawing your mind back to the twins sitting in the shop. Something about them just sort of sticks with you. You wonder if they'll be there again tomorrow.


	2. Summer Break: Days 2-5

The next day, they show up again. This time, it’s earlier in the day, shortly after Jade arrives.

“Johnny, my main man,” the boy calls to you, “can you hit me up with another glass of water?”

You oblige, and ask the girl if she wants anything.

“No.” Again, she’s engrossed in a book, but a different one this time.

“Watcha reading?” you ask.

She doesn’t answer. Instead, she simply holds the book slightly higher up so you can see the cover. Something about wizards.

They sit in the shop for the rest of the day, not really doing much. By the end of your shift, you’ve completely forgotten they even exist.

 

This routine repeats for the next several days. By the fifth afternoon, you’re so used to having them sit silently in the shop that you almost don’t notice when the boy calls you over.

“More water?” you ask, although his glass still seems about half full.

“Nah, man, I was going to ask what you’re doing here.”

“Sorry, what?” You’re confused, and not sure if you should be offended by this question.

“I mean, it’s the middle of summer. Shouldn’t you be swimming or some shit? Is this work optional?”

“Oh, no. It’s my dad’s shop. I work here pretty much every day from opening to three.”

The boy stares at you incredulously.

“What?”

“That’s a lot of working.”

You shrug, unsure of how to reply.

“So why aren’t you out “swimming or some shit?”” you finally say, quoting him.

“Have you seen me dude? I’m so white I fry in seconds. No way am I going out in the sun. Anyways, it’s like a million degrees out there. How can you stand it? And while my sister here is also very white, her main concern is that she might get sand in her precious books. Isn’t that right, Rose?”

“Huh?” The girl jerks up at the sound of her name.

“We were just talking about you,” her brother says.

"Only good things, I hope," Rose says, before going back to reading.

"See what I mean?" he asks you. When you nod, he continues, "so who's that other girl who's in here sometimes?"

"You mean Jade? She's my sister. She's supposed to be helping work in the shop but most of the time she just sleeps."

"She's got the right idea."

There's another awkward pause that seems to last forever. You try to think of something to say, but the only things you can seem to think of involve why he's still wearing his shades inside. You've yet to see him take them off in the entire time you've known him(though you have to admit it's not a very long time), and it's starting to bother you a bit. Not _bother_ you exactly, but you've become rather curious. He was reading your name tag, so he can't be blind, but maybe in one eye? Perhaps he's really sensitive to the light, or he's so used to wearing them that he's forgotten to take them off. You've even started wondering crazy things, like if he's a terrorist and taking off his glasses would allow him to be retina scanned by the government.

"Bro, is something wrong?" he asks, snapping you out of your thoughts.

"Hmm? No," you say, but as soon as the words leave your mouth you realize you've been staring into where his eyes would be for a good minute or two. Of course, you couldn't see his eyes, but he could probably see yours.

"Whatever man," he says, putting on his headphones and signaling the end of the conversation. Your dad shows up a little later, and you head home for the day.


	3. Summer Break: Day 6

Today is finally Saturday. You’ve heard people say “everyday is Saturday during summer,” but you’re guessing none of them have jobs. You’re blissfully happy not to have to go to work today. And yet… you’re curious as to whether or not Rose and her brother are there again. You still haven’t learned his name.

You try to have a typical summer day, but everything feels meaningless and lonely. Swimming’s not so fun by yourself anymore. What’s the point in people-watching when all the people are practically the same? You’ve seen all your movies about a hundred times.

Around lunchtime, you decide to head to the ice cream shop to see if your dad needs your help at all. When you arrive, the shop is so crowded you have a hard time getting around to the counter where your dad is desperately trying to fill orders as fast as he can.

“John! Thank god you’re here, son,” your dad exclaims when he sees you, making room for you to take over the cash register. You’re so distracted by the work that you forget to scan the room for Rose and her brother, until he shows up at the register.

“Hiya Johnny, what’s on the menu today?” he asks, leaning over the counter to look at the ice cream flavors.

“Um, ice cream? Or do you just want another glass of water?”

“Nope. Got my water for today, bro. I’m here for some of this _delicious_ looking ice cream.”

The way he stresses the word “delicious” makes you think he’s joking, or being sarcastic, but his face doesn’t give anything away.

“Okay, well, what flavor do you want?”

“Which one is your favorite?”

You’re still not entirely sure if he’s serious; his words are slow and drawn out.

“Son! What’s the holdup?” Your father asks from where he’s still trying to satisfy the crowd of customers.

“Sorry, Dad,” you reply, and turn back to Rose’s brother.

“Listen, do you actually want any ice cream or not?”

“Of course I do!” He looks jokingly offended, “just get me a scoop of whatever your favorite flavor is.”

He slaps five dollars on the counter, and waits while you get his change.

“I, uh, need your name? For the order?” You ask hesitatingly.

“Woah, man, I can’t believe I haven’t even told you my name yet. How rude am I? Gosh, and all this time I thought we were like best friends,” he still has that teasing tone, and it’s starting to get on your nerves.

“Listen, can you just tell me your name so I can get your ice cream?” you snap.

“Dave. Strider.” And suddenly you know his name. Just like that, everything feels different. His name is Dave. You test it out in your mind as you watch him turn and saunter back to his usual booth, where Rose is sitting reading a book. You try writing it out on the order slip, next to where you’ve written your usual order- a single scoop of strawberry. You turn the name over and over in your mouth as you take more orders. His name is Dave. Somehow, it seems to fit.

A minute or two later, when you've taken enough orders for your dad to manage it again, you get Dave's ice cream and take it over to the table.

"So, strawberry, huh?" he asks when you set the cup down in front of him.

"Yep."

"Hmm. Never pegged you for a strawberry kind of guy," he replies.

"For the record, I had my money on chocolate," Rose states, "Dave was guessing vanilla."

"You guys were betting on my favorite flavor of ice cream?" You're taken aback by this, and unsure of how to react.

"That's not the point here," Dave answers, "the point is that you prefer _strawberry_ over vanilla!"

"What? Strawberry's the most underrated flavor! Everyone always forgets about it," you protest.

"He's got a point," Rose says, "I'd completely forgotten strawberry was even a flavor."

"Well then John, I guess you won this bet..." Dave trails off, staring at the door, "well, shit."

"There you two are! Is this where you've been the whole week?" A tall woman walks straight over to where you're talking to Dave and Rose. She shares a complexion and hair color with both of the siblings, but her style of clothes and makeup more closely resemble Rose. Behind her is a younger looking man wearing a pair of ridiculous anime sunglasses.

"Hey Mom, Bro," Dave answers, an edge of hostility in his voice.

"Dude, have you seriously just been hanging around in here all week?" the man, who you're guessing is "Bro," says.

"Actually, we were just making plans with John here to get a grand tour of the town tomorrow," Dave says, "isn't that right, John?"

You're stunned, so you just nod.

"Well, you'd better start doing something. You can't just sit in this shop all summer," their mother says, "Now, we're all going to have a nice family dinner. Let's go."

She turns and storms out of the shop. The other three follow behind reluctantly.


	4. Summer Break: Day 7

You wake up from quite possibly the strangest dream you’ve ever had. You don’t remember all the details, but you know it involved a video game you were playing with your sister, Rose, and Dave. There might have also been some aliens, but you’re not sure about that. The whole thing was just kind of weird.

Of course, this reminds you that you’re supposed to be giving the twins a tour of the town today. At least, you think so. Knowing Dave(or rather, not knowing Dave), you wouldn’t be surprised if he only wanted to stop his mom from bothering him. You figure it’s best to be prepared for either event, so you get ready for a long day out.

When you get to the shop, you see Dave and Rose with their backs to you, talking to someone. Upon closer inspection, you’re surprised to see that it’s Jade. You’re even more surprised to see that the twins actually seem interested in her random story.

“So then I just had all these frogs everywhere, and Dad was all ‘Jade, we need to get rid of some of these frogs,’” at this point, Jade does an impression of your father’s voice that earns a laugh out of Dave.

“Of course, I was pretty upset, because, like,  _I_ caught those tadpoles myself, and  _I_ raised them into frogs myself, so I had to keep them, right? But eventually we just had too many frogs so my dad took them all to the pond and set them free,” Jade finishes her story animatedly, waving her hands everywhere as she talks. 

“Hey guys, what’s up?” You ask.

“Hey John! I was just telling them about that one year when I had all those frogs. Remember that?”

“Yeah, Jade, I remember.” How could you forget?

“So, ready to guide us through this obviously bitchin’ town?” Dave asks.

“Language, brother,” Rose scolds him, but Dave just waves it off.

You confirm that you're ready to show them around and give your sister a hug goodbye before the three of you head outside.  


"So we have to prove that we've been outside for a couple hours at least. I'm thinking a nice red sunburn could easily prove to Mom that she shouldn't force us to go outside anymore," Dave thinks aloud.

"Do what you want," Rose replies, "but I'd rather not spend the next few days in agony just to prove a point to our guardians."

She pulls a bottle of sunscreen from her bag and starts to apply it to her arms.

"Well, uh, where do you guys want to go first?" you inquire.

"Wherever, bro. Where's your favorite place to go during summer?"

"Oh, probably the beach!" You're actually kind of excited for this tour now. If all it's going to be is walking around to your favorite places in town with Rose and Dave, it shouldn't be bad at all.

 

The morning passes fairly easily. You take them to your favorite spot on the beach, as well as walking along the high cliffs overlooking the ocean. By lunchtime, you're all starving. You know the perfect place to get some food, and there are no protests when you lead the twins to a small sandwich shop on a hidden side-street.   


"John! How's it going?" The elderly woman behind the counter asks when she sees you enter.

"Hi Jane! I'm good. How are you?"

"Positively lovely. The weather's so nice today. Who are your friends? I don't think I've seen them around before."

"Oh, this is Rose and Dave. They're visiting, and I'm showing them around today." 

You motion to each of the twins as you say their name. Rose smiles politely at Jane, and Dave nods his greeting.

"Wonderful to meet you. Are you liking the town so far?"  


"Oh, it's absolutely precious," Rose replies.

After a few minutes of small talk, the three of you order your food and sit at a table by the window. There's an appreciative silence when your lunch comes, as the three of you eat quickly.  


"Well John, you might have an awful taste in ice cream, but at least you know where to get a damn good sandwich," Dave mumbles around the last bite of his lunch.

"Thanks, I guess," you reply.

"Anyways, I think we've done enough 'exploring' for today. Am I right, Rose?"

"Well, I would enjoy seeing more of the city, but I do agree that it might be best to leave that for another day. Perhaps next week?" she answers.

"Alright then, it's settled. I wouldn't be surprised if we see you again tomorrow, John. But for now, Sayonara." Dave gets up and strides out of the restaurant, Rose following behind. 

You stay sitting at the table for a while, thinking about how much your summer's changed from what you expected. It makes you a little excited and a little worried to see what's to come in the following weeks. If this day was anything to judge by, you're guessing it'll definitely be interesting.


	5. Summer Break: Day 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that it's been so long since I've updated! It's because of quite a wide range of factors, from the fact that school is hard to the fact that writing is hard to the fact that I sleep practically all the time... But I'll try to keep updating as often as possible! I have the very last(or maybe second to last) chapter all written out, but I'm not sure how long it's going to take to get there. We'll just have to wait and see! Lots of love, Em.

Monday morning, Dave is so red that you’re finding it hard not to laugh. He glares at you from behind his shades as he stalks into the shop. Rose trails behind, also trying to cover her smirk. Finally, you can’t take it anymore and crack up.

“Dude, you look like a lobster!” you manage to choke out between breaths.

“Shut up. It’s not that bad,” Dave grumbles. He sits down and you bring him a glass of water.

“Well?” you ask, “Did it work, at least?”

Rose chuckles, “Yeah. Our mother nearly had a heart attack and I’m sure neither her nor our brother wants Dave outside for a while.”

Brother? That must be the older man who came into the shop with their mother on Saturday and who Dave referred to as “Bro.”

You hear a yawn from the back of the shop and turn around just in time to see Jade make an entrance from where she was most likely sleeping in the break room.

“Morning everybody,” she mumbles, rubbing her eyes.

Dave seems to perk up at the sound of her voice.

“Morning Jade!”

“Wow Dave, you got really sunburned. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. A little sun never hurt anybody,” his voice takes on a new tone that you can’t identify. For some reason, you feel almost jealous of the attention he’s giving your sister.

“So,” you interrupt, “what’s the plan for today?”

“Just… hang out,” Dave says, leaning back in his seat. He’s wearing his headphones around his neck again, and gestures to them as he speaks. You look over to Rose, who holds up a book.

“Aw, come on you guys, you’re no fun.”

Despite your protests, the day passes much like every other day they’ve spent in your shop. Any growing friendship you though you noticed yesterday is gone. Dave is just as cold to you as ever, and Rose barely looks up from her book.

Jade spends a few minutes sitting behind the counter with you, but eventually lays down in the back again. At some point near the end of your work day, she comes back out and sits down right next to Dave. You can't hear them talking about anything, but she sits there for a while anyways. You're curious. What could they be doing? Why would Jade just sit next to Dave if they weren't talking about anything? Why is he letting her sit there when he's been nothing but standoffish to you?

When your father arrives, you leave the shop without a word. You walk home as quickly as possible, and lose yourself in some of your favorite movies for a couple of hours.


	6. Summer Break: Fast forward to day 36, morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so just to clarify, there's not going to be any DaveJade or else I would have tagged it. Sorry for any mix ups! Also, this chapter only takes place in the morning of one day, so the next chapter is going to be the afternoon. Lots of love, Em.

Sundays are adventuring days. That’s pretty much become a rule now. The whole week, Dave and Rose will just sit in your shop, until Sunday. On Sunday, the three of you and sometimes Jade will walk around the city. You’ve had about four more adventuring days since the first one. They’re easily your favorite day of the week, since sitting in the shop has little to no appeal to you. 

Saturdays are boring days. Rose and Dave’s mom has decided that Saturdays are their “family days,” so you’re left all alone. Not only that, but you also don’t have work on Saturdays, so you mostly just sit at home.

The rest of the week is spent sitting in the shop. Sometimes Dave and Rose talk to you, sometimes they don’t. A couple weeks ago, Dave found out that you play the piano. He was enthusiastic because he remixes music, and you ended up recording a few piano pieces for him to use. Of course, he still has yet to actually let you listen to any of his music, but you don’t mind too terribly much. 

Rose continues to bring a new book almost every day. You’re not sure how she managed to pack so many books, and when you asked she just shrugged in reply. One Sunday, you showed her the bookstore and she spent hours there. You’ve learned a lot about her. She likes wizards and knitting, she wants to go into psychology, and she has a girlfriend back home named Kanaya.

Dave is more of a mystery to you. He rarely says much of any importance, and you’ve still never seen him without his sunglasses. He seems to have taken a liking to Jade, though. The two of them can spend hours in the break room talking apart from you and Rose. You’ve started wondering if there’s something more going on besides just talking, but it seems rude to ask.

Today is Monday. Yesterday, all four of you went to the pier. Dave and Jade left early, and you saw them later walking downtown. Jade had her arm looped through Dave’s, and they were talking and laughing. For some reason, it made you a little sad. You tried to convince yourself that it was just because you hoped to be Dave’s friend, but something tells you it’s more than just that. You shake your head to clear the thoughts away, because you _definitely_ don’t want to have to worry about that. Especially if your sister likes him. You would never do anything to hurt Jade.

On the plus side, Rose has been a great friend to you. Although she does psychoanalyze everything you say or do, she’s also been a great help. When she walks into the shop, you get up from your post behind the counter and she gives you a hug. Dave just sits down in his usual spot, making a point of not looking at you. Today is going to be one of his bad days, you can tell.

“Want a glass of water, Dave?” You ask cautiously.

“Is there ever a day when I don’t want a fucking glass of water? No. So why would you even need to ask?” he snaps.

“Ignore my brother,” Rose whispers to you, “He just gets this way sometimes.” She gives you a small smile, and you smile back.

You get Dave’s water, and set it on the table in front of him. He doesn’t look at you. Instead, he glares furiously at his drink.

“Listen, Dave, are you okay?” You ask.

“Fine.”

“Do you want to talk?”

“No.”

“Well, you’re obviously upset, I just want to know if it was something I did.”

“You know what, Egbert,” Dave shouts, “It is something you fucking did, okay? But there’s nothing you can do about it, so why does it fucking matter?”

“Dave, I think we need to talk about this,” You mumble.

"Fine. Whatever. Just not here."  



	7. Summer Break: Day 36, afternoon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was going to be the last chapter, buuutttt I decided to drag on the story all the way through the end of summer if I can. However, if any of y'all think that's a bad idea and I should just leave well enough alone, please let me know in the comments and I'll consider cutting it off!  
> Lots of love, Em.

“Dave, I think we need to talk about this,” You mumble.

"Fine. Whatever. Just not here."

He heads outside, and you hurry along behind him. The two of you walk down the street a ways before he finally talks.

“So. Whaddaya want?”

“I just want to talk. Obviously something is upsetting you.”

“It’s complicated.”

“Listen, Dave,” you sigh, “You obviously have a lot of emotions right now, and I just want to understand where you’re coming from. If this is about my sister…”

“Wait, sister?” he looks confused, and you’re suddenly afraid you’ve gotten something wrong.

“Jade. You like Jade, don’t you?”

“No, you dumbass. It was never about Jade. It was always about _you_. Not Jade. You.”

You’re both shocked by this outburst. You stand there for a few minutes, mouth gaping. Dave just watches you through his sunglasses, waiting to see what you’re going to do.

“What… what about all those times you were mysteriously sneaking off with her or whatever?”

Dave executes a perfect 2X facepalm combo before answering, “You really are thicker than a coconut, aren’t you John? I wanted to talk to Jade about all of this. About you. That way, I could have some insight into that crazy Egbert mind.”

“Uh,” you can’t think of anything to say, “Jade doesn’t go by Egbert. She uses our mom’s last name, Harley.”

Dave smacks his face again.

“Listen, John, I should just go.”

He turns and starts to walk away. You watch him go for just a moment before you run after.

“Dave, wait.”

“Nah man, I gotta go.” You hear his voice catch. 

_This is it_ , you realize, _I have a decision to make, and I'd better make it fast. It's now or never._  


You admit, what happens next was cooler in your head. You wanted it to be like a movie, where the guy chases after the girl, dramatically spins her around, and kisses her, but unfortunately your life is not a movie. At best, it’s just a bad fanfiction.  


You first run into trouble when you realize for the first time that Dave is a good deal taller than you. It’s nowhere near easy to reach up to his shoulder to spin him around. In addition, he’s resisting you. The most you can get him to turn is a couple inches. Then, he just shrugs you off and keeps walking away.

“Dave!” You shout at him, “Dave!”

You run around in front of him this time, trying a different tactic. You stand directly in his path, and grab the front of his shirt.

“Dave.”

And you kiss him.

You kiss him like the world is ending.

He’s shocked at first, but falls into it easily. He places his hands gently on your hips and bends over slightly so you don’t have to stand on your toes. You wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

“I was wondering when you two lovebirds would suck it up and just kiss already,” you hear Rose behind you. Dave startles away, but leaves his hands resting on your hips and you leave yours around his neck.

“Smile!” Jade is following behind Rose, snapping a picture with her smartphone.

“Come _on_ you guys,” you groan.

“How long were you following us?” Dave asks.

“Since you left the shop. I’m actually surprised you didn’t see us,” Rose answers, “We were being kind of obvious.”

“Well, we’ll let you two get back to whatever you’re doing,” Jade chuckles, “See you boys later!”

The two girls walk off, laughing to each other. Dave just looks at you and smiles.

“So?”

“Soooo?” You answer.

“Goddamnit Egbert, I don’t have time for your nonsense,” Dave grumbles, but he’s still smiling.

“Oh yeah?” You tease, arching an eyebrow, “what else are you doing with your precious time?”

“Well there’s this one kid, John Egbert… I’m supposed to be kissing him any minute now."

You place your hands on his shoulders and lift yourself onto your toes once more. This time, he meets you halfway, pressing his lips into yours. In that moment, you can feel his muscles straining to help hold you up on your toes. You can feel his warm breath against your mouth. You can feel every minute detail of Dave Strider, and you love it.


	8. Summer Break: Day 36, Dave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last two chapters(both from Day 36) rewritten from Dave's point of view. Because I can. Lots of love, Em.

==> Be the coolkid

Your name is Dave Strider, and you can already tell that today is not going to be a good day. Rose spent the morning blabbing about her “new best friend” John fucking Egbert. God, do you hate that kid. 

But, that’s not quite right. Because you don’t hate him. You hate that you can’t have him. You hate the way he makes you feel, like some goddamned middle school girl with a crush. You hate how he won’t stop being nice to you, no matter how mean you are to him. You hate that you can’t seem to think about anything else, no matter how hard you try. 

It’s gotten to the point where you have a hard time even being around him anymore. You’re too afraid that you’ll do something you might regret later. Yesterday, you were supposed to be spending the day with him, as well as both of your sisters. You barely made it to lunchtime. 

Jade’s been great. You thought it would be weird, being friends with John’s sister, but it’s not. She’s been helping you with the whole thing. Well, usually. Yesterday, the two of you left early to walk around town and talk. You knew something a little strange was up, but she wanted you to tell John how you felt. Probably her worst idea EVER. Maybe just a _little_ part of why you’re upset today. You don’t want to sit in the shop with her constantly nagging you to tell the (thankfully) oblivious John.

You walk into the shop behind Rose, who runs over to John to give him a hug. You can’t help but be jealous, even though you know Rose has a girlfriend back home who she’s incredibly devoted to. You try not to look at them as you sit down in your usual seat.

“Want a glass of water, Dave?” John asks. He does this stupid nervous-lip-biting thing that makes him look stupidly adorable and you. Can’t. Stand. It.

“Is there ever a day when I don’t want a fucking glass of water?” You snap, “No. So why would you even need to ask?”

He looks like a kicked puppy, and you can’t help but feel a little bad. You’re about to say something, but Rose wraps an arm around his shoulders and whispers something in his ear.

John brings you a glass of water. You try to avoid eye contact as much as possible.

“Listen, Dave, are you okay?” he asks.

“Fine.”

“Do you want to talk?”

“No.”

“Well, you’re obviously upset, I just want to know if it was something I did.”

“You know what, Egbert,” you’re really upset now, and you can’t help but start to shout, “It is something you fucking did, okay? But there’s nothing you can do about it, so why does it fucking matter?”

“Dave, I think we need to talk about this,” he mumbles.

"Fine. Whatever. Just not here,” you growl, and stomp out of the shop. 

He follows along behind you silently, and you almost start to believe you’ve left him behind.

You stop and turn to face him, “So. Whaddaya want?”

He takes a minute to find the right words, “I just want to talk. Obviously something is upsetting you.”

“It’s complicated.”

“Listen, Dave,” he sighs, “You obviously have a lot of emotions right now, and I just want to understand where you’re coming from. If this is about my sister…”

“Wait, sister?” When did this become about Jade? What does she have to do with any of this?

“Jade. You like Jade, don’t you?”

Oh. OH. Now it all makes sense.

“No, you dumbass. It was never about Jade. It was always about  you . Not Jade. You.”

You freeze. You didn’t mean to say that. Well, maybe you meant to call him a dumbass, but you didn’t mean to tell him everything. You stare at him, watching for his next move. He’s staring right back at you, mouth agape.

“What… what about all those times you were mysteriously sneaking off with her or whatever?”

You smack your face with both your hands. You have no idea why you like this kid so much. “You really are thicker than a coconut, aren’t you John? I wanted to talk to Jade about all of this. About you. That way, I could have some insight into that crazy Egbert mind.”

You guess you’ve already revealed enough, better get the whole story out there.

“Uh,” he pauses, “Jade doesn’t go by Egbert. She uses our mom’s last name, Harley.”

That. Fucking. Kid. You feel your eyes burning, and thank god he can’t see them behind your shades. 

“Listen, John, I should just go.” You turn and start to walk away. 

You hear him run up behind you, shouting, “Dave, wait.”

“Nah man, I gotta go.” Your voice catches. Idiot. Why are you getting so worked up over this? You never get worked up. The whole definition of Dave Strider is “chill.” This is not chill.

A moment later, you feel him tugging on your shoulder. Surprisingly, he manages to get you to turn an inch or so, but you easily shrug him off.

“Dave!” he yells, “Dave!”

He runs directly in front of you, and you have to admit the kid’s got dedication. He stands directly in your path, grabs on to your shirt, mutters your name, and… kisses you.

John Egbert kisses you.

And you have no idea what to do. So you kiss him back. For the first time, you notice how short he is compared to you. He has to stand on his toes to be able to reach your mouth. You place your hands on his hips to steady yourself as you bend over and lower him back onto his feet. He moves his hands up to wrap around your neck, holding you closer.

“I was wondering when you two lovebirds would suck it up and just kiss already,” you hear Rose behind you. You startle and pull away, but leave your hands resting on his hips and he leave his around your neck.

“Smile!” Jade is following behind Rose, snapping a picture with her smartphone.

“Come  on you guys,” John groans.

“How long were you following us?” you ask. You’re not surprised by your sister, or by Jade, really. In fact, you’re almost kind of amused.

“Since you left the shop. I’m actually surprised you didn’t see us,” Rose answers, “We were being kind of obvious.”

“Well, we’ll let you two get back to whatever you’re doing,” Jade chuckles, “See you boys later!”

The two girls walk off, laughing to each other. You turn back to John, “So?”

“Soooo?” he answers.

“Goddamnit Egbert, I don’t have time for your nonsense,” you joke.

“Oh yeah? What else are you doing with your precious time?”

“Well there’s this one kid, John Egbert… I’m supposed to be kissing him any minute now,” you laugh, and he uses your shoulders to push himself up on his toes again. You meet his lips early, so he won’t have to reach so far. You strain to hold him up, keeping him steady. You were wrong this morning. It wasn’t such a bad day after all.


	9. Summer Break: Day 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow sorry it's been so long you guys! I was planning on writing a whole bunch over Spring Break but my family went on a trip and I couldn't get anything done :( But anyways, here's a new chapter! I think all that's left after this will be an epilogue. And seriously guys, it makes my day whenever I see new kudos or a comment. No joke. Y'all are the best. Lots of love, Em.

Today is Saturday. You hated Saturdays enough already, but now for some reason it feels even worse. You don’t just miss your new friends, you miss your new friends and  boyfriend.  You don’t know if you’ll ever get enough of saying that word.

You sit in your kitchen, eating breakfast with your father this morning. After a short while, he speaks, “Hey John, you know those kids who are always in the shop? The blonde ones?”

“Um, yeah,” you answer, unsure of where this is going.

“I’ve been spending some time with their guardians, particularly their mother. Did you know they’re looking at moving here at the end of the summer?”

“Sorry, what?” You almost fall out of your chair, you’re so shocked. Not only by the fact that your father has been spending time with their mom, which is weird enough, but now there’s something about moving?

“I’m going to be helping them look for a house later today. I was surprised that Ms. Lalonde chose today, as she tends to prefer to spend it with her family.”

“So, she’s not going out with her family for this?” You’re hopeful that maybe you’ll get to spend the day with Dave and Rose.

“No, no, she thought it would be too boring for them.”

You’re so excited that you gulp down the rest of your breakfast and run to the shop.

“You’re late,” Dave greets you at the door, “We’ve been here for fifteen minutes already.”

You answer him with an excited kiss, and you hear Jade “awww”ing from the back.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were moving out here?” You ask.

He stares at you. Rose stares at you. Jade stares at you. You suddenly feel very uncomfortable.

“Dude, we’re not moving,” Dave answers, but he sounds skeptical.

“Really? Because when I talked to my dad at breakfast this morning, he said that he knew your mom. Oh yeah, apparently our parents are friends. Did you know that?” Both twins shake their head, so you continue, “Anyways, my dad said he was taking your mom out today to look at houses.”

“I bet she’s still at the hotel,” Dave states, already walking out the door, “I’ll be back soon.”

The wait is agony. You sit with Rose and Jade, but no one says anything. It’s not one of those profound silences you hear about in stories, where a lot of meaning and emotion is conveyed. Instead, it’s an awkward silence, filled with nervous fidgeting and occasional attempts at small talk.

“So, how long have you owned the ice cream shop?” Rose asks.

“Since our mom died. Dad was so upset that he moved us here and bought an ice cream shop. He said he needed something sweet to fill the sadness or something,” Jade answers, “Nanna Crocker was thrilled, but Grandpa Harley was far from it. He said it was a disrespect to her name.”

“And, Nanna Crocker and Grandpa Harley, were they married?”

“No. Nanna was Dad’s mom, and Grandpa Harley was Mom’s dad. They were  really close, though.”

“Oh.”

The conversation pretty much dies after that. A painful half hour later, Dave bursts back into the shop. He’s out of breath and panting heavily. You move over so he can slide into the booth next to you.

“Dave?” Rose asks. She’s as nervous as you’ve ever seen her, biting her bottom lip and twisting a strand of hair around her finger.

Dave looks at her regretfully and nods. Rose makes a noise somewhere between a gasp and a sob. Dave reaches across the table and squeezes her hand. Jade looks confused.

“What’s wrong? Isn’t it great that you two are moving out here with us? We’d have missed you so much if you left!”

“Kanaya,” is all Rose manages to say before getting up from the table and pacing around frantically. You’ve never seen her like this, and it’s scaring you.

“Rose, you’re the smartest person I know. I’m sure you can figure something out,” you assure her.

“That’s what I’m trying to do!” she snaps, before hastily apologizing, “sorry, sorry. I didn’t mean that. I just need a minute.”

Jade leans across the table and whispers, “What’s a Kanaya?”

“Not a what, a who,” you answer, “She’s Rose’s girlfriend back in Texas.”

Dave still hasn’t said a word since he’s arrived back in the shop, so it startles you when he finally speaks, “Isn’t Kanaya in the foster system?”

Rose’s face lights up, “Dave, you’re a genius! We’ll just get Mom to foster her or adopt her or something! Then she can come live with us out here, and everyone will be happy.” She clasps her hands under her chin and a dreamy look crosses her face.

“No need to thank me,” Dave mutters.

“Thanks Dave,” Rose says, and you can tell she really means it.

“Love ya too, sis.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, sorry for a bit of OOC Rose in this chapter. I wasn't really sure how she would react to the situation, and I don't have a beta reader. So if anyone has any ideas as to how to make it better, leave me a comment and I'll change it! Thank you times a million!


	10. Epilogue: End of Summer Break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Agh sorry it's been so long! I had the next chapter kind of half started(I wrote, like, a sentence...) and then I got caught up in a bunch of other things because school is hard and I have to start worrying about SATs and college apps because I graduate next year and... ugh! Sorry for rambling. Anyways, here ya go. The epilogue! *cue dramatic music*

Today is the first day of the last week of summer. It is also the day Dave and Rose are officially moving into their new house. Kanaya is arriving with the last of their things later this afternoon. Everyone's excited, buzzing with nervous energy. You and Jade can barely sit to eat breakfast as you get ready to head over and help unpack. After, you both practically sprint to their new house, which is right down the street from yours.

Outside, boxes are piled up on the curb. Still more boxes are being unloaded from a moving van. Mrs. Lalonde stands outside, supervising the whole ordeal. She occasionally barks out orders in an incoherent slur brought on by alcohol. Dave's brother and your dad stand on opposite sides of her, reaching out to stabilize her when she gets a little too tipsy. Dave strides out to meet you, but Rose is nowhere in sight.

"Dave!" You shout, running over to meet him and wrapping him in a hug.

"Where's Rose?" Jade asks.

"Inside," Dave answers, "she's freaking out about makeup or some girly shit. She always goes batty when she's meeting up with Kanaya. Those two are like Classy and Sassy, although I haven't decided which is which. Drives me crazy."

Jade says something about being helpful and rushes inside. You take Dave's hand and the two of you walk over to where the movers are still unpacking boxes from the van.

"The... Midnight Crew?" You read the company name on the side of the ominously black van, "that doesn't sound sketchy at all..."

"Yeah, well, Mom picked them out. And hey, they got all our stuff here."

"Good point."

The two of you don't really have anything to do until the movers finish getting things out of the van, so you sit on the curb talking for a while. Dave asks about the local high school, and you spend a while talking about the classes and the other students. Eventually, the movers drive off and Dave heads over to talk to his mom.

"Mom, this is John. I've told you about him, remember?"

"Ohmygod I didn't expect him to be so cay-UTE!" she exclaims drunkenly, grabbing your face between her hands and kissing you on both cheeks, "call me Momma Roxy kiddo. Anything you want, I'm your gal."

You're taken aback, as this is so different from the woman you saw dragging her children out of your ice cream shop at the beginning of summer. As scarily strict as she was then, you have to say you prefer that to her current, unpredictable mood.

"Mom, just tell us where to put the boxes."

"Woah, no need to get sassy Mr. Sunglasses," she laughs, "just put 'em in the living room."

Each of you grab a box to carry inside. It takes you about an hour to finish bringing them all inside, but for the whole time, you see neither Jade nor Rose.  
When they do eventually emerge from Rose's room, you're surprised to see Rose unexpectedly jittery. Her usual calm has been broken by nerves. Jade stands beside her, offering comforting advice whenever she gets too crazy.

"Kanaya just sent me a text," Rose says, "She's almost here."

The four of you stand outside, waiting for Kanaya to arrive. A few moments later, a sleek green car pulls up in the driveway. You have to admit, you're quite excited to meet Kanaya. It's almost like a dramatic scene from one of your favorite movies when Kanaya opens the drivers side door and slowly steps out. She's taller than you had imagined she would be, although that may be partly due to her precariously high pair of heels. She's pale and slim like Rose, although her hair is short and black, and her eyes a bright gold.

"Rose, darling," she drawls, "it's so good to see you. Have you gotten tanner?"

"No Kanaya, I'm afraid you've simply gotten paler," Rose counters, kissing her girlfriend chastly on the lips.

"And Dave, wonderful to see you again. You're rapping's going well, I presume?" When he nods, she continues, turning to you and Jade, "And you must be John and Jade. Rose has told me wonderful things about you."

You introduce yourself with a smile, "Hi Kanaya! I'm John. It's so good to finally meet you."

"You as well. I have a feeling we'll become marvelous friends."

She smiles and wraps an arm around Rose's shoulders, who in turn laces her arm around Kanaya's waist. Dave reaches for you, and the two of you copy Rose and Kanaya's stance. Jade stands next to you. The day couldn't be more perfect.

Your name is John Egbert, and you have always loved summer. You love the warm air, the lazy atmosphere. You love the long days, the warm nights. You even love your job, because it brought you Dave, and Rose, and even Kanaya.


End file.
